A long time ago, there was a king who had very beautiful daughters, but the youngest was the most beautiful of all. Near his castle there was a large, dark forest, and in this forest, under a big tree, there was a well. In very hot days the youngest princess used to go out into this forest and sit on the edge of this well. She liked to sit there because it was so cool. Then, just for fun, she used to take a golden ball, throw it into the air, and then catch it. It was her favorite plaything.

Now one day she threw the ball into the air, but it did not fall into her hands, instead it fell to the ground and bounced into the waters of the well. The princess followed it with her eyes, but the ball disappeared under the water. Then she began to cry because the well was very deep and dark. She cried and she cried, and as she was sobbing, someone asked her, "What is the problem, princess? All this crying could make a stone feel sad."

She looked around to see where the voice was coming from and saw a frog, with his ugly head bobbing out of the water. "Oh, it's you, ugly water-splasher," she said. "I am crying because my golden ball has fallen into the well."

"Calm down and stop crying," answered the frog. "I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring back your plaything?"

"Whatever you want" she said, showing everything she had at that moment, "my clothes, my jewels, and even the golden crown that I am wearing."

The frog answered, "I do not want your clothes or your jewels, nor your golden crown, but if you will love me and accept me as a companion and playmate, and let me sit next to you at your table and eat from your golden plate and drink from your cup and sleep in your bed, if you will promise this to me, then I'll dive down and bring your golden ball back to you."

"Oh, yes," she said, "I promise all of that to you if you bring the ball back to me." But she thought, "What is this stupid frog thinking? He is a frog, and a frog just sits by the water with his peers and croaks. A frog cannot be a companion to a human."

The frog dove to the bottom of the well and disappeared. A little later he paddled back up with the golden ball in his mouth and threw it onto the grass. The princess was so happy when she saw her beautiful plaything once again that she didn't even look at the frog, she picked it up, and ran back to the castle.

"Wait, wait," called the frog, "take me along. I cannot run as fast as you." But she paid no attention to him, instead she hurried home and soon forgot the poor frog, who had to return again to his well.

The next day the princess was sitting at the table with the king, and was eating from her golden plate when she heard a strange noise up the marble steps: tap, tap-plash, plash-plash. Then there was a little knock at the door, and a voice called out, "Young princess, open the door for me!"

She ran to see who was outside. She opened the door, and the frog was sitting there. Frightened, she slammed the door closed and returned to the table. The king saw she was out of breath, "My child, why are you afraid? Is there a giant outside the door who wants to get you?"

"Oh, no," she answered. "it is a disgusting frog."

"My! Why does a frog visit you?"

"Oh, father dear, yesterday when I was sitting near the well in the forest and playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I was crying so much, the frog brought it back, and because he insisted, I promised him that he could be my companion, but I didn't think that he could leave his water. But now he is just outside the door and wants to come in."

Just then there was a second knock at the door, and a voice called out:

Youngest daughter of the king,Open up the door for me,Don't you remember what you said yesterday?Youngest daughter of the king,Open up the door for me.

The king said, "What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in."

She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, then followed her up to the table. He sat there and said, "Lift me up to a chair, and let me sit next to you."

She hesitated, until finally the king commanded her to do it. After she did so, the frog said, "Now put your golden plate near me, so we can eat together from it."

She did so, but she thought it was disgusting, and while the frog enjoyed his meal, she almost choked with every spoonful she took. Finally he said, "I have eaten all I wanted and I am tired. Now carry me to your little room and prepare your little bed so we can both lie down and go to sleep."

The princess began to cry because even though she thought that frog was disgusting, now he was supposed to sleep in her beautiful, clean bed.

The king got angry and said, "You should not ignore someone who has helped you in time of need. Do what he asks."

She picked him up with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner of her bedroom. But when she was comfortable in bed, he came hopping up to her and said, "I am tired, and I want to sleep in a comfortable bed too. Pick me up or I'll tell your father."

When she heard this she got very angry and threw him against the wall with great violence. "Be quiet now and sleep, you disgusting frog!"

But when he fell down, he was not a frog, but a prince with beautiful eyes. And he was now, according to her father's will, her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how a cruel witch had enchanted him, and only a princess would be able to rescue him from the well, and he told her that tomorrow they would go together to his kingdom. Then they fell asleep.